| The increasing obesity and decreasing physical fitness of children and adolescents is the focus of the world nowadays. Muscular fitness (muscle strength, endurance and flexibility), which is an important part of the human fitness, closely related to the daily activity, physical exercise, sports injury, obesity, the risk of metabolic disease and cardiovascular disease and low back pain. The results of muscular fitness tests didn’t get enough attention even though there were always be there. Recently, more and more studies found the relationship between muscular fitness and obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other disease. Many countries or scientific research institution begin to pay close attention to the muscular fitness, and try to find the way to improve it.Purpose:To test the muscular fitness of Texas students; to investigate the status of Texas physical education teachers, physical education, school sports facilities, school sports policies and fitness tests; to examine the associations between school-based factors and the students’ muscular fitness.Methods:The FITNESSGRAM system was used to test the muscular fitness of 3-12 grade students in Texas and evaluated the results with the criterion-referenced standard (Healthy Fitness Zone from Cooper Institute). The teacher questionnaire was completed to investigate the school-based physical education factors. The OLS (Ordinary least square) method and HLM (Hierarchical Linear Modeling) were used to analysis the relationship between school-based factors to the students’ muscular fitness.Results: 1. The muscular fitness of Texas children and adolescents:The passing rate of five tests about the muscle strength, endurance and the flexibility is between 65.08% and 83.26%, from high to low is trunk lift > curl up > push up > stretch> back-saver sit-reach. For the boys in elementary and middle school, trunk lift > curl up > push up > back-saver sit-reach > stretch, for the boys in high school, trunk lift > curl up > back-saver sit-reach> push up > stretch. For the girls in elementary and middle school, trunk lift> curl up > stretch> push up > back-saver sit-reach, for the girls in high school, trunk lift > curl up > push up > stretch > back-saver sit-reach.2. Results from the teacher survey(1). Except for a slightly low number (14.5%) in the 20-29-year-old age group, the numbers of respondents in other age groups were approximately the same (around 28% each). More women (57%) than men responded (43%).Most (76.5%) had a bachelor’s degree, about 17% had a master’s degree,92.2% taken supplemental training and 57.9% attended professional conference. Most respondents were Caucasian (72%), followed by Hispanic American (16.7%). Teaching experiences were well distributed and majority of PE teachers were involved in coaching, administration and other areas.(2) Approximately 55% of all respondents reported having PE sessions "5 days a week". The most commonly reported duration of the typical PE class period was 41-45 min (45.9%) and then 45-60 min(32.3%).68.1% of school have a daily recess about 20min, there was no recess in nearly 25% of schools.(3) Many school (76.7%) reported they had a playground for PA and active games.Just 8.3% of PE was cancelled according the bad weather because 93.6% of schools had an indoor facilities。76.3% PE teacher think they have enough space and facilities.(4) Less than one fourth of the respondents said their schools completed "the USDA School Wellness Policy Initiative". A good proportion of schools (> 70%) had established and 64% schools counted PE grades like other subjects. With some exceptions, about 50% of the schools prohibited substitutions of other courses or activities for PE. Besides disabilities, the two most frequently reported reasons for exemptions from PE were "participation in school sports" (73.9%) and "participation in activities such as band, chorus, or cheerleading" (69.1%).(5) Almost all the teachers taken the FITNESSGRAM training and had the experience of fitness test (96.5%).Majority teachers will explain test procedures (98.5%), let the students practice (93%) and encourage them (99.1%)3. The relationship between school-based factors and students’ muscular fitness:(1) PE teachers’education, experience, attend professional conference, involved in other job in school were all related to students’ fitness passing rate.(2) The muscular fitness passing rate will be higher if increase the PE days and recess times every week(3) In the school equipment and facilities factors, the track, playground, football field, indoor facilities and the USDA wellness, school wellness council, grades for PE, cancel PE according weather, exempt from PE in school physical education policy factors were all related to the passing rate.(4) The more attention to school physical education and the richer of teachers’ experience, the better of students’ fitness test results.(5) The factors about FITNESSGRAM training (personally conducted test, explain procedures, training, encouragement, negative experience) were all. related to the test results.Conclusion:1. The passing rate of Texas students in muscular fitness is between 65% and 83%. The pass rate of muscular strength and endurance were higher than the flexibility and the passing rate of the abdominal strength and trunk extensor strength were higher than upper body strength.2. Texas PE teachers had strong backgrounds. The PE days of every week were set and 75% of schools had more than 3 PE days every week. Most of the schools had enough equipment and facilities and a school wellness council. Half of the schools permit the student to get PE credit from other physical activity.3. Increase the PE days, duration, recess times, teachers’experience and get better facilities, better playground, more fund, more support and more attention were all the ways to develop the students’fitness. For the test, the teacher’s training, the practice and the encouragement to the students were important. |
PDF Full Text Request